Golf putter with polished tungsten insert

ABSTRACT

An improved golf club design is proposed wherein a light-weight alloy club head is combined with a dense club face insert to concentrate the club head weight behind the ball-striking surface. The insert is polished to a mirror finish to improve the clubs ball-striking capabilities and impart a unique appearance.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] This invention relates to golf putter heads possessing an insert in the ball-striking face constructed of a material different than the material comprising the putter head itself.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] Golf club heads with inserts are an old field of invention, some club inventions dating to the 1880's and earlier. The recent golf putter head designs using inserts in the club's striking face have attempted to accomplish two separate goals: change the location of the center of mass or center of inertia of the club head and change the rebound characteristics of the club face when the ball strikes the club.

[0003] The Rules of Golf are interpreted in the present day to require that any putter face insert have a constant, uniform thickness of ⅛ inch or more, have a Shore A hardness of greater than 85%, and not absorb the ball's energy and then give it back (act as a spring).

[0004] Some example patents are U.S. Pat. No. 5,931,743 that teaches a thermoplastic polyurethane insert, U.S. Pat. No. 5,485,997 that teaches a putter face plate made of non-metallic materials to increase the “sweet spot”, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,472 for a putter with a recess in the face into which is inserted or cast a resin, which hardens and is later polished. U.S. Pat. No. 6,273,831 also teaches a club head with a thermoset polyurethane material insert.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0005] The present invention is light-weight metal golf putter head in which is placed a heavy metal insert, cast to fit into a recess in the club striking face. The invention is a new combination of metals to put the majority of the head weight behind the ball and still meet the weight and size constraints imposed by the rules of golf.

[0006] The hitting surface of the club face insert is polished to a mirror finish to improve the contact characteristics of the club with the ball and to present a distinctive and improved appearance. In the preferred embodiment metallic tungsten is used to form the insert, which insert is so shaped as to present a perfectly flush surface with the surrounding strike face. The putter head other than the insert is titanium, in the preferred embodiment

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0007]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the golf putter.

[0008]FIG. 2 is a face side view of the golf putter.

[0009]FIG. 3 is a back side view of the golf putter.

[0010]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the golf putter.

[0011]FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the putter from the face.

[0012]FIG. 6 is a detailed view of the hosel shaft of the golf putter.

[0013]FIG. 6A is a cross-section of the hosel.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0014] The present invention is an improved golf club head design, with a metallic golf club head and a metallic insert in the striking face. Referring to FIG. 2, the invention has a hosel¹⁰² which is part of a one-piece golf club head¹⁰⁰. The golf club head¹⁰⁰ is shown connected via the hosel¹⁰² to a portion of the golf club shaft¹⁰¹, which is not part of this invention.

[0015] The hosel¹⁰² has a rectangular cross section^(103a),^(103b) as shown in FIG. 6 and FIG. 6A. The rectangular cross section ^(103a),^(103b) can be square in shape, with dimension 103 a equal to 103 b, or rectangular with unequal dimensions. In the preferred embodiment, the golf club head¹⁰⁰ is made of cast or forged titanium metal.

[0016] As seen in FIG. 2, the golf club head¹⁰⁰ has a heel¹⁰⁴ near the hosel¹⁰² end of the golf club head¹⁰⁰, and a toe¹⁰⁵ at the end of the golf club head¹⁰⁰ away from the hosel¹⁰². The golf club strike face¹⁰⁶ is the flat portion of the golf club head¹⁰⁰ running from toe¹⁰⁵ to heel¹⁰⁴. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 5, the golf club strike face¹⁰⁶ has an insert¹⁰⁷ at the center of gravity of the golf club head. The insert¹⁰⁷ is held in a recess¹⁰⁸ machined into the golf club strike face¹⁰⁶. The insert¹⁰⁷ is held in place by any of several methods that will hold the insert in the recess. In the preferred embodiment, the insert is glued into the recess with an acrylic adhesive.

[0017] In the preferred embodiment, the insert¹⁰⁷ and recess¹⁰⁸ are roughly oval in shape and the insert¹⁰⁷ is made of cast or forged tungsten metal alloy. The strike face surface¹⁰⁹ of the insert is polished to mirror reflectivity. In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the polishing is done by the diamond lap method. The golf club head¹⁰⁰ possesses a back face that is shaped as shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4. The back face has a ledge weight portion¹¹⁰ that is part of the single-piece golf club head¹⁰⁰. The ledge weight portion¹¹⁰ runs from the heel¹⁰⁴ to the toe¹⁰⁵ of the golf club head¹⁰⁰.

[0018] In the preferred embodiment, the polished tungsten insert¹⁰⁷ possesses high density while simultaneously being able to take a mirror-bright polish. In the preferred embodiment, the tungsten insert¹⁰⁷ is made of carburized tungsten. The combination of a dense metal insert¹⁰⁷ in the area directly behind the golf club strike face¹⁰⁶ at its center of gravity and the light weight of the titanium golf club head¹⁰⁰ permits a new club design that concentrates the majority of the weight of the club head directly behind the ball-striking surface of the club.

[0019] In the preferred embodiment of this invention, the golf club head is a putter head.

[0020] While the present invention has been described above and a preferred embodiment of the invention has been identified, changes and substitutions of equivalent features can be made without departing from this invention. Those skilled in the art of golf club design will recognize that many variations of this described embodiment of the invention can be resorted to without leaving the boundaries of this specification and associated claims below. 

What is claimed for this invention is:
 1. A golf club head comprising a club head body having a striking face, the striking face having a recess within it, the club head body comprised of a relatively light-weight material, the recess having an insert disposed within it, the insert comprised of a relatively dense material, the insert held fixedly in place in the recess, the material comprising the insert capable of taking a mirror-bright polish.
 2. The golf club head according to claim 1 where the club head body is comprised of a titanium alloy.
 3. The golf club head of claim 1 where the insert is comprised of a carburized tungsten alloy.
 4. The golf club head of claim 1 where the method of imparting a mirror-bright polish to said insert is the diamond lap method.
 5. The golf club head of claim 1 where the golf club head is a putter head.
 6. The golf club head according to claim 5 where the club head body is comprised of a titanium alloy.
 7. The golf club head of claim 5 where the insert is comprised of a tungsten alloy.
 8. The golf club head of claim 5 where the method of imparting a mirror-bright polish to said insert is the diamond lap method. 